


One Day Down

by ConfessionForAnotherTime



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-12 23:44:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2128920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConfessionForAnotherTime/pseuds/ConfessionForAnotherTime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a cute, fluff fic about the Church family. Allison comes home for shore leave between missions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	One Day Down

“Mommy!” Carolina yelled, releasing her father’s hand to run for her mother. 

“Carolina, sweetie!” Allison chimed back, scooping her daughter up and hugging her tight, “were you good for daddy while I was away this time?”

“Uh-huh,” Carolina replied with a nod, “I even made my bed everyday daddy told me you would like it is I did.” Allison removed the cap from her head, her blonde ponytail cascading from underneath it. The cap found its way onto Carolina’s head with the too wide brim falling over her nose and concealing her face. 

“Mooooom,” Carolina whined with a grin, pushing the hat up so she could see, “you’re silly. That’s too low.”

“Maybe a few more years and you’ll be big enough,” Allison grinned, pulling the cap off her daughter to straighten her hair, the strawberry glint catching on the sun filtering in through the window, “until then I can wear it for both of us.” Allison gave Carolina a playful poke to her nose her tongue sticking out when her finger made contact.

“And you,” Allison chided, shifting Carolina to her other arm to pull Leonard into a kiss, her arm lingering on his back, “I did miss you too, for some reason.” Her toothy grin as she rolled her eyes made him laugh.

“I couldn’t help myself, Alli. All she’s talked about today is seeing mommy that I had to let the two of you have a moment before I ruined it.” He kissed her again, smiling as Carolina covered her eyes when she noticed this time.

“Ewwww. No kissing!”

“Only if you say so, princess,” Leonard said, holding his hand out to Allison after she secured Carolina on her shoulders. She palmed his hand before lacing their fingers together. Carolina grabbed her mother’s hat again, pulling it back over her head, almost completely concealing the pigtails that Leonard had tried earlier in the day. 

“Carolina honey, is that a new shirt?” Allison asked as they headed to the car, Leonard leading the way.

“Yep! Daddy took me shopping so I could look extra cute for you. He let me pick everything out,” she beamed, pointing out the sparkles on the buttons of her jeans to the flower on her shirt.

“You have good taste sweetie.” Allison lifted Carolina up and over her head to hand her to Leonard once approaching the car to strap her into the child safety seat. “You get so big each time I come back. Soon, you’ll be able to give me piggyback rides.”

“When I’m big!” she shouted, her arms raised.

\---

The three of them headed home with Carolina taking off into the yard the moment she was set down outside the car. Leonard beckoned her inside so they could get ready for the park later. Leonard checked the fridge for the third time to ensure everything was prepared before Allison finished with her shower. 

“Carolina, are you ready to go?” he asked, peeking his head into her room. She was busy packing several toys into her small backpack, a fluffy white cat screen printed onto the back of it. “Do you need help closing it?”

“No. I think I can get them all in. I made sure to grab the dinosaurs Mommy likes and the toy plane and ---” she started, listing off the several toys she had poking out of the zipper. 

“Are you sure you’ll need all of those?” Leonard asked as he offered to help her close it as she handed him the backpack, sealing the playthings inside.

“Yep!” Carolina beamed. Leonard turned when he heard Allison laugh in the doorway. Her blonde hair hung loose, still damp. The fabric of her blue, cotton dress clung to her back where her hair had dampened it. 

“Leonard, you look ridiculous crouched over like that,” she pointed out, her hand covering her mouth. He handed the backpack back to Carolina, pulling her up.

“Yeah well. You look… pretty,” he said as he pulled himself up, straightening his slacks. Carolina giggled as she ran from the room, her backpack strapped to her shoulder.

“You’re going to roast in that sweater,” Allison called to him as she followed her daughter, “it’s supposed to be warm out today and you’re dressed like it’s going to snow out there, and we live in Texas.”

“My lab is cold.”

“You didn’t work today.”

“This is what I wear all the time.”

“You still didn’t work today. You don’t work until I go back in a month.”

“I’ll go change.” 

“Carolina sweetie!” Allison called after her daughter, looking around the living room, before spotting the sliding glass door open, her daughter playing with the toy ship she had brought back for her from one of her previous missions. She picked up the discarded backpack, zippering it closed before heading onto the deck. “It’s almost time to go!”

“Okay mommy!” Carolina called as she ran past her back into the house, making noises for her ship. “Look, I’m you!” 

“Ha, yes very good honey,” Allison laughed as she followed her back in, slinging the straps of the backpack to the crook of her arm before heading to the fridge to grab the food. She packed each of the carefully made sandwiches into the picnic basket, marveling in the fact that Leonard had actually gone out and purchased a picnic basket for this occasion. She rolled her eyes and smiled as each sandwich and food container had a label for each person. 

“Leonard, you’re a big dork!” she shouted, in the direction of their bedroom. He appeared a few second later, buttoning a green, short sleeve shirt. His khaki shorts put his knobby knees on display as she held back a laugh, instead sputtering behind her hand. 

“Shut up.” His lips were pursed as he pushed up his glasses and she burst into full out laughter. 

“Nevermind, I take what I said earlier back. NOW you look ridiculous,” she said once she got herself under control, peeking down at his feet, “at least you had the decency to not wear socks with your sandals this time.”

“My feet are very sensitive and the sandals were rough!”

“That doesn’t excuse wearing sandals and socks. Nothing excuses that.” Allison finished packing the food into the basket, handing it over to Leonard, leaning over to kiss him, “come on, the childling grows restless. She’s already pulled one of her toys out.”

“Seriously? I just put that in her bag.”

“Leonard, she’s seven.”

\---

Leonard pulled into the parking lot of the park, popping the trunk to grab the picnic basket while Allison unstrapped Carolina from her seat behind her. The child had spent most of the drive over playing with her toy ship, making engine noises and inviting her parents to join in with her. Allison turned to play with Carolina as they drove, digging out a separate ship from her backpack to play. Leonard smiled at the two of them as Carolina took off into the grass, her mother chasing behind her. He kept a steady gait behind them, looking for a shaded spot to sit under. 

“Leonard over here!” Allison called, waving her arms. The tree she was standing next to provided more than enough shade for the afternoon that had been cooling off much more than the weather predictions had said. 

“Good choice,” he said with a wink as he laid out the blanket once he reached the two of them.

“Leonard, never do that again.”

“You are no fun.”

“No, you look like a even bigger nerd when you do that. A Leo-NERD.”

“Did you just piece that one together?”

“No, I’ve been saving that one for you.” She flashed him a grin as she unpacked his meticulously marked food, calling for Carolina to sit with them and eat. Allison handed her half of her sandwich, carefully cut into fourths without crusts. “Leonard, you spoil her. No crusts?”

“She doesn’t like them and the nanny cuts them off too.”

“Of course she does.” Allison noted at how quickly Carolina ate her sandwich cuts, rubbing her hands off on her pants before getting up to play again. Carolina dug her dinosaurs out to play in the grass next to the tree that shaded them, the roots providing cover for some of the dinosaurs. 

The two adults ate slower, savoring the company they shared. Allison grabbed a bite of pineapple, her eyes widening as she told Leonard to open his mouth so he could catch it. He shook his head, grabbing for the fruit but she pulled away, convinced she could make it. He groaned and opened his mouth wide, leaning into the fruit volley as the piece went a little too far to the right. She clapped when he caught it anyway, grabbing a strawberry this time. He motioned for her not to throw, once again grabbing for the fruit in her hand. She caught his wrist and pulled him toward her. He missed with his other hand to brace himself, instead toppling onto the blanket and pulling her with him. Her hand shadowed them from view as he looked up at her cheeky grin, popping the strawberry into her own mouth, chewing and swallowing, before leaning down to kiss him. The kiss was awkward from the angle, as his nose kept poking her in the chin. 

“Mommy! Daddy! I said no kissing!”

“Oops.”

\---

The three of them finished their lunch over the course of the next hour. Leonard packed the leftovers into the car after the fruit and sandwiches had been eaten, leaving the crackers behind. Allison packed up the blanket, closing the trunk after stowing it away. Leonard stretched out his hand to her, motioning to the path that circled around the pond in the middle of the park. Carolina had already started along the path, calling to each of her parents as she ran ahead. Allison took Leonard’s hand, walking next to him as she hoped the walk would help wind Carolina down. After making a complete loop of the path, Allison felt a tug at her dress.

“Mommy?”

“Yes sweetie?” she answered, looking down at the girl.

“What was that horsie ride we passed?” she asked, pointing back along the patch to the Carousel that was languidly spinning behind her. 

“You mean the Carousel?”

“Yes. Can we?” Allison looked to Leonard.

“You two can. I’ll watch.” He pushed up his glasses, quirking his mouth as Carolina stared at him to pout.

“Daddy, I want you to ride the horsie ride with me and Mommy.”

“I-- okay. I will ride the horsie ride with you and Mommy.” His shoulders slumped, looking over at Allison as she squeezed his hand, pulling him along to the Carousel as soon as Carolina had grabbed his free hand.

The wait in line was short compared to the three rides that Carolina requested on the “Horsie ride”. Leonard paid their admissions, Carolina running ahead to grab one of the tall white horses in the middle of the Carousel. He lifted her up, strapping the belt around her waist and telling her to hold on tight to the pole that held the horse in place. Allison took the outside horse, a short black horse with a wild mane. Leonard took his place on the grey horse on the inside, close to the lights and music. Each go around spun them around for several minutes, bobbing up and down. Leonard couldn’t help but watch the two of them, giggling and smiling like he hadn’t seen them do in ages. Allison’s dress flowed behind her, her hair following. 

The third go around ended and Leonard unstrapped his seatbelt, swinging his legs to help Carolina take off hers, lowering her to the platform below her. Allison had been fumbling with her strap in the meantime, unable to get the clasp free. She managed to get herself untied right as Leonard walked up, allowing him to help her down, his hands on either side of her waist. 

“My hero,” she said sarcastically. She bounced up on the balls of her feet to kiss him before running after Carolina, who had managed to make it out of the Carousel’s gate. Leonard shook his head, smiled and followed behind.

\---

“Annnnd she’s asleep,” Allison said triumphantly, closing the door to Carolina’s room.

“How many bedtime stories did it take this time?” Leonard asked as Allison sat on the opposite end of the couch after kicking off her sandals, swinging her legs up to stretch out. 

“Only three. She was pretty tired from the picnic, the park, the Carousel, the playground, and flower garden. I’m surprised that she didn’t stuff every flower she could see into her little backpack,” Allison counted off, ticking off a finger with each activity. 

 

“Then you didn’t look in her backpack at all. her other toys were scattered on the floorboards of the car and I saw flower petals from the roses and blue bonnets she managed to shove in there. We’re going to need to vacuum it out tomorrow.”

“Well, at least I know she’s my daughter,” Allison stated as she put her head in her hand. 

“Besides, none of of the flowers were as pretty as you are,” Leonard told her as he leaned over to kiss her, laying his head in her lap as soon as their lips parted.

“Leonard, that was lame. You’re lame.” She laughed, grabbing his glasses to set them on the coffee table next to them, her fingers combing through his almost black hair. He hummed appreciatively.

“Yeah, but you chose to be lame with me.”


End file.
